| Allan I. Abolafia, D.D.S. |  |
Allen W. Ackerman, D.D.S. |
| THE TOOTH TRIBUNE |
|
When researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina noted that the leading causes of school absenteeism in the United States were asthma and dental caries, they decided to see if there was a connection. Six hundred and fifty-five children between the ages of one and fifteen were studied. Included were 125 youngsters who had been previosuly diagnosed with asthma. The study results noted that asthmatic children had a higher level of decayed, missing and filled teeth, both in their primary and permanent dentition (teeth). The researchers found that to control their ailment, most of the asthmatic children were taking albuterol, a medication which depletes salivary flow. The connection was identified! Wouldn't it be lovely, a vaccine against gum disease. This concept which might make today's gum disease treatments obsolete, could well be a reality within the next decade. Doctors at the University of Washington, in Seattle, have, for the last fifteen years, been working on developing a vaccine that would work against gum-attacking bacteria. In their tests on monkeys, the vaccine was found to block the onset and the progression of periodontal disease, without any side effects. Tests on humans may begin shortly. What do you do in the meantime? A study of about 15,000 Americans between the ages of 15 and 74 has found that 95% of those who practice good oral hygiene don't have periodontal disease. Keep brushing. Keep flossing. Make and keep regular dental visits! |